Best Stadium Seating Reviews in 2018

Stadium seats, bleacher seats, whatever you want to call them: they’re fantastic for sporting events and other occasions where you’ll be seated on a hard surface for extended periods. It’s a lucrative market, filled with products of all different types, however and that can bring a lot of confusion as to which is the best. We chose the Picnic Time Portable ‘Ventura’ Reclining Stadium Seat as the clear winner.

If you’re looking for the best experience possible, check out the we’re here to present you with five of the best stadium seats around. With the right choice you’ll never have to deal with uncomfortable seating again.

Bestoverallpick!

Best overall: Picnic Time Portable

If you’re a regular attendee of events where a bleacher seat could come in handy, the investment in this chair is a great way to stay comfortable for no matter how long you may find yourself sitting.

Best Overall

Picnic Time Portable 'Ventura' Reclining Stadium Seat

Product Rating5 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

This portable seat simply blows away most of the competition, although it comes at a pretty steep price. With a thickly padded, and rugged, polyester seat it’s extremely comfortable while maintaining the structural integrity of the fabric no matter how you choose to use it. Add in a steel frame and you have a stadium seat that’s going to last for a lifetime.

The chair straps onto your back easily with a couple of backpack-style straps. This will allow you to haul it wherever you may need to go despite the extra weight which is caused by the heavy duty construction.

It also comes in quite a few different variations, with both solid colored and patterned chairs available to suit your personal tastes. Add in the robust, adjustable arms and it’s a clear shot for the winner of our little round up.

Pros and Cons

Thickly padded seat

Backpack straps

Heavy-duty construction

Different patterns and colors available

Adjustable arms

Expensive

No cup holder or pockets

Best Bleacher Seat for Larger People

Home Complete Stadium Seat Chair for Bleachers

Product Rating4.5 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

Regardless of the reason, if you’re on the larger end of things then you’ll need a robust chair with a wide seat. Home Complete offers this impressive chair for a fairly high price, but with the arms lowered you’ll have an astonishing 20” of seating area to ensure that you can remain comfortable regardless Of course, the benefits don’t end there. This chair also folds completely flat and has six different positions which you can recline in. Fiddle with it a bit and you’ll have exactly the right spot to enjoy your event without straining your back.

With the arms folded up you still have an impressive 14” of room on the seat, allowing you to ensure that you have some wiggle room. The extra padding also ensures that you remain comfortable.

If you’re on the larger end of the scale and you want to make sure that you can enjoy the race, game, or other event with a surprising amount of comfort this is just the seat you’ve been looking for.

Pros and Cons

20” of width

Adjustable arms

Thickly padded

Folds flat for easy transportation

Six points of reclining

Quite expensive

Very bulky

Best Seat for Long Games

Driftsun Stadium Seat Reclining

Product Rating4.5 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

Some events are longer than others, and when that happens you definitely want to make sure of two things: a thick pad and a cup holder so you don’t have to balance things in your lap. Add in some arm rests and you may just have a winner that’ll keep your butt from getting numb when overtime rolls around. The coolest part about this chair is definitely the foam pad, however, which is made of a high density foam that’ll keep a pleasant shape through the duration of the event. Cheaper padding may have to be readjusted in order to maintain a good seat, you’ll be just fine even if you’re locked in the same position for hours.

There’s also a zippered pocket on the back, which is a nice touch for carrying some extra stuff in with you. You’ll definitely want to utilize it, since it has backpack straps which will let you carry it in without needing to juggle everything else.

While it’s fairly expensive, this stadium seat from Driftsun makes the perfect companion for longer games and events. It’s well worth the investment and it’s sure to last a long time.

Pros and Cons

High-density foam seat

Backpack straps for easy carry

Drink holder

Zipper pocket on the back

Padded arm rests

Expensive

A little too narrow for some people

Best Low Budget Stadium Seat

Rio Adventure My Pod Seat

Product Rating4 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

If you’re only attending events sporadically, it doesn’t always make sense to spend a whole lot of cash on a high-end seat. Coming in at roughly half the cost of most of the other seats on this list, we found that the Rio Adventure outperforms anything else within the same price range. The first thing most people will notice about this seat is the fact that it’s super light. Weighing in at only 3.5lbs it’s actually the lightest on our list which makes it easily portable by pretty much anyone. The lack of armrests is an unfortunate side effect of the low cost, but overall the seat is still super durable and seems to hold its shape well during longer events. It also comes with pockets for heated pads, which can be used to keep you warm if you’re stuck out in inclement weather.

The backrest is still fairly solid, and also allows for five reclining positions for the user. This makes it pretty versatile despite the lack of more advanced features which you might be expecting. Add in a side carry strap, and you’ve got a golden opportunity.

While the Rio Adventure Seat may not be the best on our list, it’s definitely worth taking a look at if you’re on a tight budget or not planning on using your seat on a constant basis.

Pros and Cons

Bargain priced

Heating pockets

Reclining back

Easy carry strap

Super lightweight

Not quite as comfortable as higher-end seats

Velcro straps are a bit short

Best Stadium Seat for Comfort

Flash Furniture Game Day Seat

Product Rating5 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

While it’s not quite as portable or easy to deal with as the rest of the seats on our list, this bleacher seat excels in one key area: comfort. It has a thickly padded seat which will keep even the boniest behind happy for the long hours which can result from a game, but it’s also a bit heavy due to that and the high-quality metal frame. The durability is also top notch, this might be the last stadium seat you have to buy. Of course, it doesn’t have any straps, so for shorter events you may want to consider something a little bit easier to carry.

It’s not entirely messed up when it comes to portability, however, there’s something to be said for the padded carry bar when the chair is folded down.

For the ultimate in comfort, at the cost of portability, this stadium seat is exactly what you’re looking for. If you need to hike your seat really long distances, however, you may be better served with a different option.

Pros and Cons

Extremely durable

Super thick padding

Excellent back support

Great stabilizing system

Fairly priced

Not as portable as most stadium seats

Rigid back isn’t suitable for all people

Who Needs Stadium Seats?

If you’re a fan of sports events at any level, you’ve undoubtedly had to deal with the pain of landing your behind on a hard metal bleacher for extended periods of time.

While some of us may be able to deal with it, a lot of us find it to be the worst part of the experience.

There’s really no reason to have to put up with it, even a simple pad will greatly improve your experience after all.

If you’re attending these events on the regular, however, then you’re going to want to find a stadium seat that’s sure to keep you comfortable no matter how long things run.

Picking Your Stadium Seats

When we started looking at these seats for you, we found that there are some qualities which simply make our picks stand head and shoulders above the rest of the products on the market.

Like any relatively simple item, there are tons of differing options available after all but most of them are cheap and hardly an upgrade from the hard metal or wood of normal benches.

We looked for the following qualities to ensure that we brought you only the best:

Durability

If you’re interested in these seats, then chances are you’re going to want them to last for a long time. This means that you need to ensure you have a durable seat, since the expense is going to add up if you have to replace them every year.

Build-quality and the material the bleacher seat is made out of are both integral to making sure you have a long lasting experience, in addition to a comfortable one.

Comfort

The amount of padding and the material the padding is made of will have a big effect on your comfort with one of these seats. Some might be super comfortable initially but quickly give way to barely being better than the bench itself.

Portability

Sometimes you have to walk a long ways from the parking lot in order to get to your seat. This is where backpack straps and side straps come in handy. While backpack straps are superior, side straps will still allow you to easily transport your seat.

The weight is also a big factor here. A couple of pounds can make all the difference if you’re having to drag things a long way to your seat.

Some options you’ll have to grip by the side, which makes for an awkward experience if you’re the type who likes to haul a lot of stuff to your favorite events.

Arms

Frankly, we don’t think that a stadium seat without arms is worth bothering with. If you’re going to pay for the increased comfort and haul in a chair with you… then you definitely want arm rests.

Of course, having adjustable arms is also good. These will allow you to adjust for weight if you’re a larger person, or remove them entirely if you really don’t want them at the moment.

Reclining

Many of the better bleacher seats will allow you to recline in different positions. This can make things a lot more comfortable at the end of the day. If you’re actively engaged in the game then you can sit upright and lean forward, but during those times where your attention isn’t strictly necessary it’s nice to be able to lean back.

Extras

Some chairs will have pockets, cup holders, and extra little features. We find that these make all the difference when it comes to actually using the seat. No more needing to hold your cup in your lap, and you can keep snacks in other pockets.

These little touches matter quite a bit when it comes to the functionality of your seat.

Pricing

You’ll want to match all of this with the price of your seat in order to get the best result.

How much you’re willing to spend will depend on both your budget and how often you attend games. If you’re a regional fan who’s in the stadium each and every time your favorite team plays then spending a lot of money makes sense, while if you only attend a couple of events a year you don’t really need to break the bank.

For the most part, you’re going to get what you pay for at the end of the day but there are a couple of budget priced seats out there which simply outshine their competitors by a long shot within the same price bracket.

Conclusion

Whether it’s your kid’s baseball games or a series of big league events, making sure that you have the best stadium seat possible is a great way to increase your enjoyment of any event involving bleachers. Once you have one in your possession you might just wonder how you ever got by without one.